Power trommel



Sept. 3, 1963 F. F. DAUENHAUER 3,102,857

POWER TROMMEL Filed Nov. 14, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR..

85L OR/A/V F. DAUENHAUER A T TORN E Y Sept. 3, 1963 F. F. DAUENHAUERPOWER TROMMEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 14, 1960 INVENTOR.

' FLOR/AN F. DAUENHAUER I ATTORNEY 3,102,857 POWER TROMMEL Florian F.Dauenhauer, 2860 Lomitas Ave.,

Santa Rosa, Calif. Filed Nov. 14, 196%, Ser. No. 68,739 6 Claims. (Cl.209308) The invention, in general, relates to machines for sepamatinghops from foreign material comprising leaves, fragments of leaves, hopclusters, vine stems, both large and small, as well as other debris.More particularly, the invention relates to a power driven pockettrommel operating as a first cleaner following the stripping of the hopsfrom the hop vines in a hop-picking machine, and wherein appreciablequantities of separated foreign material are removed continuously toprevent any clogging or stopping of the machine.

The present application primarily relates to an improvement of thepocket trommel heretofore invented by applicant and described andclaimed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,376,128, granted toapplicant on May 15, 1945. In operation, the pocket trommel of theaforementioned Letters Patent effected the removal of substantialquantities of individual hops but was required to be stopped from timeto time during the hop-picking and hop-cleaning operations by reason ofthe fact that accumulations of debris and foreign material interferedwith the continued agitation of the trommel endless screen and, further,effective separation of individual hops and the foreign material couldnot be accomplished with the facility afforded by the presentimprovement which is directed to the combination of added components inadvance of the agitating screen as wellas added components below theagitating screen for increasing the efliciency of the trommel operationas well as for decreasing to a minimum the number of stoppages of theequipment during any hop-picking and hop-cleaning operation.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedpower trommel containing the feature of diffusing and spreading themixtures of picked hops and foreign material so as to deposit individualhops and heavy foreign material in different areas of the trommel.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a powertrommel of the indicated nature which is additionally characterized bythe provision of means for constantly removing large branches, hopclusters and the like which are carried over the agitating pulley of theA still further object of the present invention is to proivde animproved power trommel of the aforementioned character which includesthe features above mentioned without appreciably increasing the cost ofmanufacture of the unit or the cost of maintenance thereof.

'Other objects of the invention, together with some of the advantageousfeatures thereof, will appear from the following description of apreferred embodiment of my present improvement which is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that I amnot to be limited to the precise embodiments shown, nor to the precisearrangement of the component parts thereof, as my invention, as definedin the appended claims, can be embodied in a plurality and variety offorms.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of thepresent improvement.

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view thereof, taken on the line 2-2 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View of the agi- 3,102,857 PatentedSept. 3, 1963 ige tating idler pulley and embodied in the preferredembodiment of the present improvement.

FIG. 4 is a composite view showing sectionally the means for effectingthe agitation of the screen belt to tauten as well as to permitslackening of the same whereby the mixtures of hops and foreign materialare appreciably tumbled about.

FIG. 5 is a reduced top plan view of the preferred embodiment of theinvention in association with components of a hop-picking machine.

FIG. 6 is a schematic showing of the driving mechanism for the improvedpower trommel illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In its preferred form, the power trommel of my present improvementpreferably comprises, in combination with a conveyor for deliveringmixtures of picked hops and foreign material, an endless mesh belt forreceiving the delivered mixtures and for separating the hops from theforeign matter, means for agitatingsaid belt to tumble the mixturesabout and to enhance the action of separating the hops from the foreignmaterial, together with a separating and diffusing member movablysupported in overlying relationship to said mesh belt between saidconveyorand said belt for spreading and diffusing the delivered mixturesto different areas of said mesh belt, and driven means in underlyingrelationship to said endless meshbelt for effecting the continuousremoval of separated foreign material and for preventing the clogging ofthe trommel.

As particularly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings,the power trommel of the present improvement, which is designatedgenerally by the reference numeral ll in the accompanying drawings,receives mixturesof picked hops and foreign material from ahoppickingmachine, designated generally by the reference numeral 12,through the medium of an elevator conveyor 13. In general, the trommelll comprises an endless mesh belt 14 which conveniently can be a chainbelt fashioned of chain links to afford a plurality of square openings15 therein of sufiicient size, say approximately 1 /4 mesh, to pass theaverage size of hop. The mesh can be diamond-shaped, rather than square,as desired, and the entire belt may be fabricated of wire, if desired.The endless mesh belt 14 is trained over a driven pulley 3.6 as well asan agitating idler pulley 17 and a smaller idler pulley 18, as shown;the pulleys being journaled in brackets secured to structural members ofapreferably steel framework which is designated generally by thereference numeral 19 and which includes an upright 21 on which thedriven pulley 16 is rotatably mounted, an.

upright 22 on which the smaller idler pulley 18 is rotatably supported,and an upwardly projecting inclined supporting member 23 upon which theagitating idler pulley 17 is rotatably mounted. The raised structuralsupporting member 23 elevates the agitating idler pulley 17 wit-hrespect to the driven pulley 16 so that the endless mesh belt 14operates through a pocket section P at the approximate longitudinalcenter of the trommel from which it rises sharply up and over theagitating idler pulley 17, as shown.

In accordance with. the present improvement, means are provided on thetrommel-11 for separating and diffusing the mixtures of hops and foreignmaterial which are delivered to the trommel by the elevator conveyor 13.These means preferably comprise a plurality of rods or tines 31 whichare arranged in spaced relationship and pivoted as a unit, on a commonpivot axle 32 spanning two spaced uprights 33 and 34 which are fixedlysecured to a horizontally extending cross beam 36 forming one componentstructural member of the steel frameworklQ of the trommel. By thisconstruction, the tines 31 are in the general form of a fork 37 andthese tines are pivotally mounted in overlying relationship to theendless mesh belt 14 of the trommel with the fork 3 7 located betweenthe upper end or discharge outlet of the elevator conveyor 13- and themesh belt 14 of the trornmel so that the delivered mixtures of pickedhops and foreign material encounter the fork 37 before being depositedupon the belt 14. As is well known, the stripping of hops from hop vinesresults in heterogeneous mixtures of individual hops, hop clusterscomprising a plurality of hopsdepending from vine sections, leaves andfragments of leaves, as well as quantities of long and short vine stems.These mixtures constitute the matter carried by the elevator conveyor 13for delivery to hop separator devices of which the power .trommel 11constitutes one and which aptly may be termed a first cleaner. The pivotaxle 32 of the fiork'37 is journaled in the uprights 33 and '34 and isarranged to hold the group of tines 31 in the inclined positionindicated by the full line showings of FIG. 2; this inclined position ofthe fork 37 being maintained by a counterweight 38 secured to anextension 39 aflixed to the common axle 32 and normally abutting on thetop of the fork frame.

The fork 37 actually is a self-cleaning separator fork since the fork 37will swing to the dotted line position illustrated in FIG. 1 when thereis a sufficient load of hop clusters and leaves and stems and otherforeign material adhering to or hanging from the fork as to overcome theweight of the counterweight 38. In normal operations, hops which aredischarged from the top of the elevator conveyor 13 and which areseparated from the foreign matter as to be loose therefrom will passthrough the spaces of the fork 3 7 while the foreign materiaLcomprisingthe hop clusters, leaves, fragments of leaves and the like, will strikethe individual tines 31 of the fork 37 and slide down the same to strikethe lower portion 41 of a deflector 42 which is affixed to the frameworkof the fork and which overlies the endless mesh belt 14 adjacent to thedriven pulley 16 thereof so :as to deposit the foreign material in anarea designated by the reference character G, while the separated hopsare diffused by the fork 37 to be distributed on an area of the endlessbelt 14 indicated by the reference character F, see FIG. 2 of theannexed drawings. Thus, the fork 37 functions to separate to some extentloose hops that are carried up to the tromrnel 11 on the elevatorconveyor 13 and to separate out also the larger foreign materialincluding large vine stems, branches and large clusters; the largematerial so separated by the fork 37 being deposit-ed on the mesh belt14 in an area so as not to interfere with the screening of the loosehops in the area F thereof.

In accordance with the present invention, the agitating idler pulley 17is specially constructed so as to cause alternate tightening ortautening of the endless mesh belt 14 and loosening of the same to aslack state during its rotation about the three pulleys 1'6, 17, and 1 8over which the belt is trained; the tautening and slackening actionbeing recurrent and effecting a repetitive raising and lowering of thepocket section P of the trolmmel to appreciably tumble about themixtures of hops and foreign material on the mesh belt 14 andto aid inthe screening or separating of the individual hops from the mixtures ofhops and foreign material as well was the passage of such separated hopsthrough the mesh -15 of the ,belt. To this end, the agitating idleropen-drurn pulley 17 is formed with a pair of opposed heads 51 andarranged in spaced relationship and maintained in such positions by aplurality of cross bars 52, 53, 54 and 55 which conveniently are re- Iabout the pocket section P. In FIG. 4 of the annexed drawings, I haveillustrated the tautening of the mesh belt, as at and the loosening orslackening of the belt, as at 60, as it alternately passes over the 2 x4" crossabars and the 2 x 2" cross-bars of the agitating idler drumpulley 17 in the rotation of the screen about the three pulleys 16, 17and 18. It is to be noted that all vine branches, stems, leaves andclusters which are too large to pass through the mesh 15 of the trornmelscreen belt 14 are carried up and over the agitating idler pulley 17 tostrike an inclined deflector 56, conveniently supported on the frameworkmembers 22' and 23; the deflector 56'serving to deliver this carriedover foreign material to an area of the trom-mel floor 57, indicated bythe reference character I, from which area the foreign material isremoved by means of another important feature of my present inrprovementwhich aptly can be termed a drag conveyor, and which is designatedgenerally by the reference numeral 58 in the annexed drawings. It isalso to be noted that the individual hops which pass through the mesh 15on the upwardly extending stretch or reach of the endless mesh belt'14will strike against another inclined deflector 56" which serves todirect these hops onto a shaker conveyor hereinafter more particularlydescribed, the deflector 56' conveniently being supported on structuralmembers 22 and 36 of the framework 19. V

The above referred to additional important feature of my improved powertrommel comprises a pair of driven chains 59 and 61, arranged inparallel spaced relationship and maintained in such spaced relationshipby a plurality of cross-slats 62 secured to the chains 59' and 61 atspaced intervals throughout their endless. len-gths;such cross-slatsriding upon :a sub-floor 57 which prevents the drag conveyor 58 frombecoming slack. In accordance with the present improvement, the dragconveyor 58 is caused to move in the direction of the arrows 63, see'FIG. 1 at the lower left, which is in the same direction of movement asthe mesh belt 1410f the trommel, as indicated by the arrow '64. The twoparallel chains 59 and 61 of the drag conveyor 58 are individuallytrained over aligned pairs of spaced sprockets 6 7 and 68 which aredriven as hereinafter described. It is to be especially noted that theendless belt 14 is so driven as to travel at a faster rate than the dragconveyor 58 so that the endless belt 14- actually bumps over the slats62 of the drag conveyor along the lower reach of the mesh belt 14, asparticularly shown in FIG. 1, and it is also to be noted that the dragconveyor 58 isfm'aintained in such position that it is in brushingengagement with the lower run or reach of the endless mesh belt 14 withthe slats 6-2 riding on the floor 57 :and thereby picking up andcarrying all foreign material that passes up and over the idler pulley17 of the trommel, and guided downwardly by the inclined deflector 56,for delivery to one section, designated by the the reference numeral 71,of an upright picking machine 12. The end of the drag conveyor 58adjacent to the one section of the picking machine 12 extends through anopening 72 in a wall 73 which partially encloses the upright pickingmachine 12 so that foreign material carried along by the drag or returnof the endless mesh belt is brought within an area or path taken by thepicking fingers 74 of the hop-picking machine 12; such picking fingerseffecting the spreading and diffusion of the foreign material over alarger area for deposition on to a removal conveyor. It is to be notedthat the picking fingers of the unit of the picking machine shown in theaccompanying drawings move in the direction of the arrow 75 and up andover the upper pulley 76 of the picking machine so that some of theforeign material is carried upwardly to pass over the upper pulley andsuch hop clusters, leaves, stems and trash are uniformly distributedonto the removal conveyor, designated generally by the traveling grizzlymesh belt 77, which is movably mounted below the picking machine 12 andwhich delivers to an arm picker, not shown. By this action, thescreening of loose hops from the clusters and the leaves which arebrought within the unit of the hop-picking machine by the trornmelreturn mechanisrnincluding the drag conveyor 58 is greatly enhanced andthis increases the rate of recovery of clean hops that may have becomeembedded in the leaves, the

shown, where additional hops are stripped from the clusters andseparated therefrom.

= *My improved power trommel also includes a shaker conveyor 81 which ismovably supported within the trommel just below the upper arm of theendless mesh belt 14, shown, and suchshaker conveyor 81 prefer-ablycomprises'an' imp'erfonate plates82 so" Supported as to be disposed atan inclination to the-horizontal and preferably. supported by means oflinks, as hereinafter described, as to givean upward movement on theforwardstroke ofthe plate 82 and a downward movement on the returnstroke. The shaker conveyor is intermittently driven to and 'fro, and'also .rises and falls, "as hereinafter described, byismeans of a shakereccentric axle 84 on one end of whichra v-pulley' 86 is securelyfastened; the shaker eccentrlcaxle carrying a pair ofuspacedeccentricconneoting rods .87 and 88 connected to the shaker plate 82 for. movingfithe same to and fro. The shaker conveyor is conveniently m'ovablysupported'for rise and fall by means of two pairs of spaced shaker arms91 and 92 secured at their one endsxto the uprights22 by means ofbrackets 96,.and 9.7 and at their other ends to the bottom of the shakerconveyor. Theaction'of the shaker conveyoris intermittent, as stated,and the conveyor serves to deliver the material separated from themixtures of hops andforeign material through the "mesh of the mesh belt14 to the hop separating flights which are discloscd a-nd, claimed 1innmy copending application entitled Hop, Separating 'Flights, SeriaINo.68,749, filed November 14, 1960. Driving means for the eccentric axle 84of the shaker conveyor 81 are described hereinafter in connection withother driving means for the trommel components. A i

While any suitable driving means can be employed forflctuatingthevarious shafts and axles. of the tromrnel, I prefrablyemploy an electric motor 101, see FIG. 6 of the annexed drawingswhich is so mounted as to support a. pulley 102 on the outer end of themotor shaft 103; the-driving means including a counter shaft 104 whichis placed in driving connection with the motor 101 by a belt and.pulley. drive 166, 107, respectively. The countershaft 104 carriesadditional v pulleys 108 and 109, and the pulley 108 is connected bymeans of a V-belt 111 to the V-pulley 86 of the shaker eccentric axle fil-whereas the pulley .109 is connected for the purposes of driving ashaft 110', through the medium of a twisted V-belt 112 and a pulley 113.The shaft 110 carries a sprocket 114 to effect the driving of a shaft115, on which the driven pulley 16 of the trommel 11 is mounted, throughthe medium of a twisted endless chain 116 which is trained around thesprocket 114 as well as a corresponding sprocket on shaft 115. Thedriven shaft 115 serves to drive the drag conveyor 58 in the samedirection of rotation as the direction of rotation of the trommel screen14; the driving connections including a V-pulley 117 on shaft 115, thedrag conveyor driven shaft 118, on which the pairs of sprockets 67carrying the drag conveyor endless chains 59 and 61 are mounted, and atwisted V-belt 119 trained over the V-pulley 117 of shaft 115 and acorresponding V-pulley on shaft 118.

The improved power tro'mmel herein illustrated and described afliordsenhanced separation of hops from leaves, stems, hop clusters and otherforeign material with an increased rate of recovery of cleaned hops; theinitial separating action occurring in the first cleaner by the actionof the fork 37 which elfects continuous deposition of individualseparated hops on one area of the moving mesh belt 14 and continuousdeposition of separated larger fortion P of endless belt 14 of theltrommel, by virtue of the v 6 eign matter to another area of thebelt14, thus greatly enhancing the effectiveness of the belt 1 4 and.separating additional individual hops from the foreign material,

through the openings 15 of the mesh belt for deposit onto the shakerconveyor 81 which receives also the deposits ofleaffragm'ents,someleaves, as well as some large and small stems that pass through theopenings or the belt 14.

The increased raising and lowering of the pocketsecspecial constructionof the agitating idler pulley .17, increases the [tumbling of themixtures and a greater separation of individual hops along the'upperreach of the belt on its upward movement toward (the pulley 17, withscreened individual hops and other material being guided onto the shakerconveyor 81 by the guide baffle 56',

and with the larger un screened foreign material including larger stems,hop clusterswand leaves being carried ters still bearing individual hopsas well 'as many hops embedded in the mixtures of large leaves and stemsand clusters, will be moved in the direction of the arrow 63 into asection 71 of the hop-picking machine 12 where the upwardly movingfinger bars are encountered and the fingers 74 engage and scatter thesuccessive moving mixtures of hops and foreign material to uniformlyspread the scattered mixtures onto amoving grizzly or meshscreen 77movably mounted underneath the picking machine 12 and serving to carrythe larger foreignmateria'l, including the hop clusters and the like, toan arm picker, not shown, for effectively stripping additionalindividual hops from the clusters. moving olf of the drag conveyor 58within the hop-picking machine 12 will fall by gravity onto an inclinedguide or barrier 78 which is supported on the inside of an enclosurewall 73 and which terminates in close proximity to the grizzly 77, so asto carry the falling portions of the mixtures of foreign material fromthe drag conveyor 58 downto-the grizzly 77; 1 i r v i It is to beunderstood that the appended claims are to be accorded arange ofequivalents commensurate in scope with the advances madeover the priorart.

'Iclaim: l."II1 a power trommel, a movable endless screen to whichmixtures of hops and foreign material including hop vine leaves,fragments of leaves, hop clusters, vine stems and vine branches aredelivered from a source of the mixtures, means supporting said endlessscreen to maintain a pocket section in the upper run thereof, means forrepetitively raising and lowering said pocket section to repetitivelyand appreciably tumble about the mixtures of hops and foreign materialdelivered to said screen to enhance the screening of hops from themixture through said endless screen, a floor below said endless screen,means for effecting the deposition of min-screened foreign material ontosaid floor, a drag conveyor movably mounted between said endless screenand said floor in brushing engagement with the iower run of said endlessscreen and with said floor; said drag conveyor being adapted upon beingmoved with the movement of said endless screen to pick up and move awayunccreened foreign material deposited on said floor thereby preventingfouling and stoppage of movement of said endless screen, and means formoving both said endless screen Some "of the foreign materiai area-s52and foreign material including hop vine leaves, fragments of leaves, hopclusters and vine stems and branches, a stationary frame, a movableendless screen supported in underlying relationship to the dischargeoutlet of said conveying means'for receiving said successive mixtures, a

self-cleaning fork-like separator member pivotally sup ported on=saidstationary frame at said predetermined location in overlyingrelationship to said screen between the discharge outlet of saidconveying means and said screen for difiusing said successive mixturesof hops and foreign material and for elfecting the separation ofindividual'h-ops and deposition thereof in one area of said screen andthe deposition of larger foreign material on a dilferent area of saidscreen; said self-cleaning forklike separator member being moved on itspivot when overloaded with said mintures of hops and foreign materialto' a vertical position thereby to rid itself of all such mbrturesandbeing returned to an inclined position when rid of said mixtures offoreign material, a counter-weight connected to said separator membernormally to hold the samein' an inclined position, a plurality ofpulleys joura naled in said stationary frame supporting said endlessscreento maintain a pocket section in the upper run thereof,.means onone of said pulleys for repetitively raisingand lowering said pocketsection to repetitively and appreciably tumble about the hops andforeign material disposed on said screen, means for moving said endlessscreen to carry tin-screened foreign-material up and over the top of oneof said pulleys |fior deposition below said screen, 'a floor on whichun-screened foreign material is.

deposited, and a drag conveyor movably mounted below said endless screenand in brushing engagement with said floor and with the lower run ofsaid screen to pick up and carry away fioreign material disposed belowsaid endless screen thereby, to prevent fouling of and stoppage ofmovement of said endless screen;

3. A power trommel as defined in claim 2 and wherein said drag'conveyorcomprises a pair of endless chains arranged and maintained inparallelspaced relationship,

and'a plurality of cross-slats spanning said pair of endless chains atspaced intervals for brushing against said floor and the lower returnrun of said endless screen and for carrying away in conjunction withsaid endless screen and said floorthe doreign material deposited belowsaid endless screen.

4. A power trommel as defined in claim 3, and means for moving said pairof endless chains in the same direction-of movement as the movement ofsaid endless screen.

5. A power trommel and picking machine combination comprising, incombination with conveying means for delivering from the picking machinesuccessive mixtures of hops and foreign material to a predeterminedlocation, a stationary frame, an endless screen movably mounted on saidstationary frame in underlying relation; to -said predeterminedlocation, a self-cleaning fork-like separator member pivotally mountedon said stationary frame at said predetermined location in overlyingrelation to said endless screen, a counter-weight:connected to saidfork-like separator member to maintain the same, normally-at aninclination to the vertical; overloading of said separator member withmixtures'of hops and foreign. material sufficient to overcome saidcounter-Weight ef-- fecting a pivotal movement of said fork-likeseparator member to the vertical thereby effecting a self-cleaningthereof, means lior maintaining a pocket in the upper run of saidendless screen, means on said firame for effecting repetitiveraising andlowering of said pocket of said screen for eflecting the tumbling aboutof the successive delivered mixtures of hops and foreign materialtherebyto screen out individual hops from said mixtures, at floorunderlying said screen, meanst'or depositing run-4 screened foreignmaterial on said floor, a drag conveyor movably mounted on said framemeans, for, moving both i said endless screen and said drag conveyor,means on saiddrag conveyor for engaging said floor as well as the lowerrun of said endless screen for 'movingnn-screened: for-.

eign material off of said floor to prevent fouling of and stoppage ofsaid, endless screen, and a partition between said endless screen of thetromrnel and said picking .machine, said partition having an openingtherethrough beyond which said drag conveyor projects and throughwhichun-sc-reened foreign material moved 05 said floor is passed onto saidpicking machine.

6. A trommel and picking machine combination as defined in claim 5,wherein said drag conveyor consists of a pair of chains arranged inparallel spaced relationship, and said means on said drag-conveyorconsists of a plurality of cross-slats connected to and spanning saidpair of chains in spaced relation to one another.

References Cited in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN A POWER TROMMEL, A MOVABLE ENDLESS SCREEN TO WHICH MIXTURES OFHOPES AND FOREIGN MATERIAL INCLUDING HOP VINE LEAVES, FRAGMENTS OFLEAVES, HOP CLUSTERS, VINE STEAM AND VINE BRANCHES ARE DELIVERED FROM ASOURCE OF THE MIXTURES, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID ENDLESS SCREEN TO MAINTAINA POCKET SECTION IN THE UPPER RUN THEREOF, MEANS FOR REPETITIVELYRAISING AND LOWERING SAID POCKET SECTION TO REPETITIVELY AND APPRECIABLYTUMBLE ABOUT THE MIXTURES OF HOPES AND FOREIGN MATERIAL DELIVERED TOSAID SCREEN TO ENHANCE THE SCREENING OF HOPES FROM THE MIXTURE THROUGHSAID ENDLESS SCREEN, A FLOOR BELOW SAID ENDLESS SCREEN, MEANS FOREFFECTING THE DEPOSITION OF UN-SCREENED FOREIGN MATERIAL ONTO SAIDFLOOR, A DRAG CONVEYOR MOVABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID ENDLESS SCREEN ANDSAID FLOOR IN BRUSHING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOWER RUN OF SAID ENDLESSSCREEN AND WITH SAID FLOOR; SAID FRAG CONVEYOR BEING